


Rubber Shuriken

by thekatthatbarks



Series: Living Through Change [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Adoption, Day 5: Family, Domestic, Kid Fic, M/M, SNS Summer Week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 15:34:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11293596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekatthatbarks/pseuds/thekatthatbarks
Summary: Sasuke and Naruto take on another change in their lives.





	Rubber Shuriken

                _He deserves this._ The thought ran through Sasuke’s head again as they walked through the village. _It was what both of them had always wanted for a long time._ It was something Naruto had never had outside of the friends he’d made that had become to mean just as much to him. It was something Sasuke had lost and had always wanted back.

 

                Naruto had clearly been nervous when he brought it up with Sasuke. The fear of rejection in his eyes had torn at Sasuke’s heart. _Like he could ever say no to him for anything._ Sasuke would never crush this hope, though. Naruto wouldn’t have resented him for it, but he knew Naruto would never be able to get over that feeling that he was missing _something_. Sasuke had told him yes – _he wanted it too, no matter how much a voice in his head told him he didn’t deserve it_ – and Naruto had cried, throwing himself at him in a crushing hug.

 

                Naruto was excited as they walked, already talking about plans and things they could do. It made Sasuke feel warm as he looked at his smile, but he couldn’t get over his own anxiety about it. Naruto must have been able to tell, because he reached out and grabbed his hand, his thumb stroking soothing circles into his skin. But even though he knew, he didn’t comment on it and kept blabbering away.

 

                When they stepped through the doors of the orphanage, Naruto was almost jumping with excitement. The old woman who ran it came out to meet them with a wide smile. “Hokage-sama! Uchiha-san! How nice to see you!”

 

                Sasuke nodded at her and Naruto smiled nervously. “Good morning, Kiko-san. How are things today?”

 

                “Everything’s well. The expansion was a great idea, Hokage-sama, and the children really enjoy whenever you stop by,” she told him sweetly and Sasuke could tell she admired Naruto for more than him simply being a _hero_. He knew Naruto had been putting a lot of work into setting up the orphanage. It was preferable than having the children living by themselves with small checks from the government. Naruto didn’t want any children to have to learn to take care of themselves like he had along with many others.

 

                Naruto looked at her bashfully and rubbed the back of his head. He waved off the compliment. “Well, they needed more beds and room to play. It was the right thing to do.”

 

                She disagreed with him, “No, Hokage-sama, you do much more than what is necessary. You are very appreciated.”

 

                Sasuke held back a chuckle when Naruto blushed and tried to change the subject with a laugh. “I’m here on personal business today, Kiko-san.”

 

                She raised an eyebrow at him and glanced at Sasuke. “Oh? What can I help you two with?”

 

                Sasuke decided he shouldn’t let Naruto do all the talking. “We’re looking to adopt.”

 

                Her eyes flickered between them in surprise and then she grinned widely. “Really? Well, you’ll have to fill out some paperwork first. Then, I can show you the couple of babies we have and toddlers –“

 

                “No,” Naruto interrupted her with a shake of his head. He looked to Sasuke, who smiled back at him, and he told her, “Whoever you think has the worst chance of getting adopted. We’ll take them.”

 

                Kiko was obviously thrown off and she put a hand over her heart. “Hokage-sama…”

 

                Sasuke gave her a smile. “We’ve already discussed it. Our minds are set.”

 

                She nodded and gestured for them to follow her to her office. They sat down in front of her desk and filled out the forms. There wasn’t much information on the child, except that her parents were both deceased. Her name was _Nori Hata_ and she had just turned nine.

 

Kiko watched them silently and when they handed the papers back to her, she laughed warmly and warned them, “She’s a bit of a handful. She puts off anyone who comes by and no one wants to take a child with such a mouth.”

 

                Naruto chuckled. “Well, Sasuke and I weren’t the greatest of kids either.”

 

                Kiko lead them to the back where there was a small field for the children to play. A few of them were already out there playing with each other. She walked them over to a small girl with long red hair who was throwing rubber shuriken at a tree. “Nori-chan, Hokage-sama and Uchiha-san are here to see you.”

 

                The girl looked over her shoulder at them and then back to her tree. “What do you want, Hokage-sama?”

 

                Kiko looked like she was holding back a scolding at the girl’s tone and told her, “They’re looking to adopt.”

 

                Sasuke noticed her shoulders instantly tense and she paused in her throwing, but she didn’t turn around. “Well, I don’t want to waste your time. Go talk to Risa, she’s really nice. Everyone likes her. She’d be happy to go home with the two of you.”

 

                Kiko deflated, looking at her sadly then to Naruto. He replied to her, “We want to adopt _you_ , Nori-chan. If that’s alright with you.”

 

                She turned around at that and looked between him and Sasuke in obvious surprise. But then her lips twisted in a frown and she spun back around, now throwing her toys harder at the tree. “I don’t want new parents. Pick someone else.”

 

                “Nori!” Kiko scolded her, but somehow still managed a gentle tone.

 

                Naruto waved a hand at her and crouched beside the small girl. He didn’t meet her eyes as he told her, “I knew your dad in the war.”

 

                She dropped her toys and her hands turned into tiny fists. She didn’t say anything and Naruto went on, “Kei Hata. He was a good man, Nori. I’m sorry you lost him.” Sasuke stepped forward and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. “I know what it’s like to lose someone, Nori, but that doesn’t mean you can’t love anyone else. He wouldn’t want you to be alone.”

 

                She looked up at him and Sasuke saw a couple tears running down her face. She sniffed and looked to Naruto, asking him shyly, “Did you – were you friends?”

 

                Naruto paused before smiling and telling her honestly, “I wouldn’t say I knew him that well. But he was really nice when I met him. He took good care of everyone and fought as hard as he could.”

 

                She sniffed and then rubbed at her face. She looked at the ground and then after a moment, she asked, “Why would you want _me_? My teachers don’t like me because I act bad and I’m not very smart. I don’t think I’ll have good enough scores to get into the ninja academy.”

 

                Another change under Naruto’s administration was the academy. He was slowly trying to do away with child soldiers. Everyone went to the same school until they were twelve and then advanced to either the ninja academy or the civilian one. Only teenagers would be genin that way. It was the trickiest thing Naruto was trying to change. They had a shortage of shinobi as is, but it was peaceful now and the best time to attempt something like this. There was still a lot of areas to fix before it could really work, but Sasuke believe in Naruto.

 

                Naruto shrugged at her. “Why wouldn’t we want you? You seem like a cool kid. Besides, me and Sasuke don’t care about those other things. We can help you study and train if you want to go to the ninja academy.”

 

                Sasuke could see the hope in her eyes as she looked back to them, her eyes flickering between both men. But she still looked unsure. “What if I’m still not any good?”

 

                “I doubt it. If Naruto can go from being dead-last to the Hokage, then you can do anything, too,” Sasuke answered her, trying to give her a comforting smile. “But we’d still take care of you even if you decided to become a civilian. That doesn’t’ matter to us.          “

 

                Her blue eyes widened and she turned back to Naruto. “You were _dead-last_ , Hokage-sama?”

 

                Naruto nodded with a laugh and rubbed the back of his head. “I was, but I worked hard to get to where I am today.”

 

                She smiled and Naruto stood up. He held out his hand to her. “So, what do you say, Nori-chan? Do you want to come be a part of our family?”

 

                She reached her hand out but then paused, glancing between them. “Tora had to change her last name when she got adopted. Do I…?”

 

                Sasuke shook his head, understanding the attachment she must have to her surname. “We don’t even have the same last name. Unless you wanted to, you don’t have to.”

 

                She looked relieved and put her small hand in Naruto’s. She looked like she was about to cry again, but kept up a tough front as they walked back into the building. Sasuke admired her strength. She glanced up at Sasuke before they got to the door and raised her other hand unsurely. He smiled at her before taking it in his with a reassuring squeeze.

 

                Naruto _did_ cry later that day. They had just showed Nori the room they’d prepared for her and she was running around their house excitedly with curious eyes. Her room was plain, but they promised her they would go shopping the next day and she could pick out things for it. After wearing herself out from playing and making a list of things she wanted, she passed out on the couch. Sasuke had moved her to her bed and when he turned around, Naruto was leaning against the doorway with a smile as a couple tears escaped his eyes.

 

                Sasuke kissed him on the cheek and stood beside him, looking back to the little girl that was now _theirs_. Naruto whispered to him, “She looks like my mom and she has your snarky attitude, you’d think she _was_ ours.”

 

                Sasuke smiled at him with a nod and told him thoughtfully, “Growing up with us, Sakura, and Kakashi, she’s going to be one strong ninja if she decides to take that path.”

 

                Naruto laughed and Sasuke could already see the excitement in his eyes at the thought.


End file.
